The Tree and Sky
by gNatRat
Summary: Rogue is so used to Logan always coming back... but for what? When Scott winds up by her side and Logan leaves her what can she do but find something in the man that actually stayed for her? I did not create X-Men. New Chaps up!
1. The Tree

Big green eyes gaze out the window at a tree. The autumn winds are shaking the leaves free from the thin brown twigs. They turn and twist and make a song through the air, not like scratching but an earthy hum, a rattle; its own sweet music. Earth's music.

Her fingers are hidden behind fabric. Cloth. A proverbial stone wall. She has to wear them so she won't hurt anyone. She hates that thought.

That she can hurt someone and not want to. It's like having someone take over your mind and make you kill your family.

She hates it. More than anything she wants to use a knife and peel off her skin so she can't hurt anyone anymore. Just take it all off. But she can't. Even the deeper thought of it is too gruesome. She can only survive the fleeting glimpses of it in her mind.

She hates it though.

Jean is talking in the background. To Logan.

Logan is back. For a little while. He had gone to look for himself like he was prone to do, but now he was back. Rogue likes to think that he came back for her.

She knows the truth.

She knows he came back for Jean. To see if she and Scott were over. But they aren't.

Rogue wishes they were. So Logan and Jean could be together and she would stop having to wonder if he really was coming back for her or for Jean. Because if Logan and Jean were together then she would know that Jean was the reason he came back.

Rogue wouldn't fear this false hope. Even if she did love the thought of it. Love the idea that maybe he did come back for her. At least just a little.

Scott's up against the wall watching them talk. Rogue doesn't have to look to see that. He's always watching Jean and Logan when they're together. He's so self-conscious about himself. He's always ready for Jean to do something… to hurt him.

Rogue doesn't think that's the way a relationship should be. Where one person is waiting for the other to hurt them. To fail. But then again, that's how she and Logan are. In her own relationship with him, she's waiting for him and Jean to kiss. To join bodies and minds and souls. For him to leave her.

Then again, he's only a fantasy. A glimpse of what might have or could have or should have happened.

No.

Not should have.

They should never be together. If they ever were it would end. And Rogue would break. She knew this… knows it. She doesn't want to be broken.

So she just hopes that it _could_ happen, but not that it actually _would_. She just likes the idea of it. That the hope is still there.

She's looking at the tree. Seeing the tree. Feeling as if she wants to be the tree. People can touch the tree and feel its warmth. Even in the winter it's warm.

She's always cold. Rogue is cold because she can't be touched. Doesn't need to be. Sometimes doesn't want to.

But that's the difference. This want is different from with Logan. She likes the hope that maybe she _will_ be touched. Not just that she _can_ be.

She stands up, her red hair falling from the sofa back to hers as she does. It startles Scott. Not that she has red hair or that she stood, but that she did so at that time and that for some reason her hair looks so much like fire and the sun.

She walks outside to the tree. The tree that is warm and can be touched. And Rogue takes off her glove and places her fingers hesitantly against the rough bark. Her eyes are glazed over with her hearts greatest desire. She is gone from this world trying to be in another.

Where she can be a tree.

She feels the grooves of it and the shape of the knots and the grain. She wants to absorb the tree, become it, be taken into the shape of the tree. She wants to be able to be touched. To feel another human want to hold her.

She wishes she could be held. She was never hugged. Held. That's why she's so cold. Because she is dead. She could never run to her mother and hug her. Never. No one.

She's not empty though. But that makes her sad. She wants to be empty. So if she breaks, nothing can come out.

Scott walks outside but doesn't catch her attention. He doesn't want to. He doesn't want to wake her up. This is the best dream she's ever had.

Jean looks over. Scott isn't watching her anymore. Something's wrong.

Logan looks over. Jean isn't talking anymore. She's watching Scott. She never watches Scott, something's different. He sees Rogue. Marie. Little lost Marie. The girl he had helped raise since he met her that one day.

She's so tall now. She's beautiful, but she's like his daughter. He's proud of her. He feels bad because he could never hold her. Except for that one day. When she was almost gone completely. When he held her for the longest time that anyone has ever held her.

He sometimes regrets doing that. He feels like he gave her a present no one can ever give her again.

But she deserved someone holding her.

Scott stops beside her and watches as her eyes look over the tree.

She looks over at him. She is surprised that he is looking at her. She looks back to Jean and Logan. Jean is looking at her. Probing her mind. Rogue drops to her knees and covers her ears as if that will keep the telepath out. But it can't and Jean keeps looking.

For what, Rogue doesn't know. But there are things she wants to keep away from Jean.

In seconds Jean is gone and Rogue can breathe again. She did a good job hiding everything. All Jean saw were things like what Rogue had for breakfast and conversations she had had that day. Rogue looks up. Scott is scolding Jean. Logan is just looking at her… confused.

Jean shakes her head as if waking from a reverie and walks away. She's such an actress. She was angry.

Rogue doesn't like Jean. Jean's too self-centered. Jean doesn't like it when Scott isn't watching her. But doesn't like that he doesn't trust her. She doesn't like knowing that Logan comes back for Rogue too.

Rogue doesn't like Jean because she's too perfect. Too pretty. Too knowledgeable. She's too fake. Rogue doesn't like fake.

Rogue is surprised because Scott didn't follow Jean. He is still beside her, touching her shoulder where her shirt is. Trying to help her up. She can't put her hand in his because her glove is off. But something makes her want to.

But where is Logan? Shouldn't Logan come to her rescue? Something is wrong here. She looks back and Logan has gone. He had gone after Jean.

All of a sudden Rogue is dizzy. Why is it that now Scott is there beside her while Logan is running to Jean? Shouldn't it be different? Shouldn't she at least be alone? Shouldn't Scott have left her too?

Scott's saying something and now everything is catching up to her. Rogue can feel the present rush onto her like waves of the ocean. She's nauseous. Time had been going to slow for too long and now the speed is making her sick. Confused. Lost.

She touches the first thing she can find and starts to feel tears in her eyes. She can see things but doesn't know what they are. She runs somewhere. As fast as she can.

What had happened? Why was she moving so slow seconds ago? What had happened? She's on her knees again. She feels her cheeks growing wetter and wetter. It's raining. She's surrounded by tall grass. She's in the front of the school. But why? How did she get here? Her head feels so heavy. And now everything is black.


	2. Discovery in The Clouds

_Breathe. _

_Just breathe._

Someone is speaking to her. She can feel the voice inside her head.

"Professah?"

_Just breathe Rogue, just breathe. Show me what's inside you so I can get you out of the clouds._

Rogue opens up her mind and lets him in.

She feels like she cut open her knee and a doctor is looking for dirt. Not invaded. He is not probing. He feels like a grandfather.

He can see now. She is sitting on the couch. He can feel the grappling sense of insecurity wrap its slimy fingers around her heart. He experiences it like she experiences people. He is sitting with her now. She is standing up and at the tree. He can feel her desire and then her astonishment when Scott is there.

And then, there is someone else. Jean.

He can feel himself get angry but he won't let Rogue see that. Jean should not be doing this. Invading her mind out of anger like that. He knows what she is looking for. She is looking for feelings for Scott. Something she can use against them both. He can feel the effects on Rogue.

Rogue can feel a tingling in her fingers as he brings her out of the blackness. She realizes what had happened. She had touched Scott with her hand. She feels bad because she sees things now that belong to him. She tries to stop them but she can't. They are creeping into her air. She sees his hatred for Logan. But his admiration. She sees how he looks at the sky. Wants to leave sometimes.

She wants to tell him that she feels the same way.

But she can't. Because she sees that she is in a bed now. In the hospital wing. And he is next to her. Sleeping she hopes. Not like the last ones she's touched. She feels terrible now. _Is he okay, professor?_ She asks.

_He's fine, he's resting right now. You gave him quite a shock. _

"Oh gawd…" She mumbles and rolls over in the bed. Her eyes float down to the white sterile floor as the stunning lightness of the room begins to blind her. "Ah can't believe Ah did that…" She trails off, her eyes stinging with regret.

"Rogue, it's alright. He'll be fine. You barely shook him, you just threw him off guard." Ororo is there and she's talking to her. She's reassuring her. She's trying to tell her that everything is alright but Rogue knows different.

"No. Somethin' happened. Somethin'… Ah don't know… Somethin' not right."

"Professor! What happened? Will Scott be okay?" Jean. That voice, so clear and sharp like glass. Rogue wanted to shatter her. She can feel the chill of the air as Jean rushes to Scott's side. Rogue turns her head. Logan's at the door. Looking at Jean. All of a sudden a feeling creeps upon her. All of a sudden Rogue is invisible. She turns back and pulls the covers up around her face so she blends in. Maybe she will get lucky and everyone will forget she is there. Forget she exists.

The empty, untouchable tree.

Rogue rolled over. Her head was swimming with everything that had happened. She still couldn't believe she had touched Scott. She opened her eyes and there he was. Lying there. Looking up at the ceiling like he was lying in bed in his room. As if nothing had happened. He must have noticed she was awake because he turned his head to look at her but she closed her eyes. She didn't want him to know she was awake.

She didn't want to have to apologize.

"I know you're awake." His voice floated over to her. But he didn't seem angry. She didn't want him to be angry with her. She knew that everyone must be angry with her but please, just not Scott. She could hear some rustling and all of a sudden she felt a hand touch hers through the covers. "I'm not mad at you Rogue, you didn't mean to do it and you didn't even hurt me. I just sort of got really tired. That's all. You didn't hurt me Rogue. And I don't have to forgive you because you didn't do anything wrong."

"Yes Ah did!" She cried out, surprising Scott, and then she rolled over so he couldn't see her. Tears were rolling down her cheeks. She couldn't let herself believe that he wasn't mad at her.

"Rogue! No, you didn't! Stop saying that." He paused, trying to get her attention by running his fingertips over her hair. "Hey… Rogue…" She wouldn't look at him. Couldn't. She shook with a soft sob and she felt him withdraw. See. He was mad. He didn't want to touch her.

She took some time to calm down. He must've left because she couldn't hear him talk or move. She opened her eyes.

But no.

There he was. Sitting in front of her, arms propping his chin up on her bed.

For a split second she wished those glasses would disappear so she could read what expression was on his face.

She gasped. His fingers her on her bare skin, her cheek, wiping away her tears. She could feel tingles and shivers all over herself. He continued to move them back enough so she couldn't get enough to cause any effect, all she could get were glimpses of emotions.

He was being honest. He wasn't mad at her. In fact he felt something… she couldn't say what. But he wasn't mad at her. She swallowed harshly and opened her eyes again. She had stopped crying.

"Ah'm sorry Scott."

"No, I am. For what Jean did."

Rogue looked away. Why did he have to bring her up? "She didn't get much. At least not what she was lookin' for."

"What was she looking for?"

Rogue knew the answer. She had seen it when the professor was waking her up. "Just… childish stuff. Nothin' really." Rogue sighed and shook her head trying to play it off.

Scott was too good for that. She underestimated him. She wanted to tell him. Tell him that Jean was looking for a reason to leave him. But Jean didn't want to be the bad guy. She wanted to be the victim. Rogue wanted to tell him so bad.

"Rogue… what was she looking for?"

"You…" She trailed off, her eyes falling shut once more. She had to tell him. He deserved better than that.

"Me? What do you mean?"

"She was… lookin' for… if Ah… she…" Rogue struggled for words. What could she say? Scott, your fiancée is looking for a reason to leave you for Logan?

"Rogue just tell me."

"Ah can't."

"Why not?"

Rogue stopped. Why couldn't she? Why not? She knew Scott deserved to know but why could she not tell him. She all of a sudden wished she could send her thoughts to someone else. That she could show him what she saw. If it wasn't obvious already.

He had said something but she missed it. She was thinking too hard. "What? Ah'm sorry Ah missed that." She opened her eyes again and saw a serious expression on his face and felt her stomach crash at the thought that she was making him repeat what he had said.

"Was it… was it about Logan?"

Blinking Rogue closed her eyes. It would be easier to tell him if she couldn't see what he did. "Sort of."

He had stopped talking. Was it what she had said? She opened her eyes and she could tell he was looking for a straight answer. She left her eyes open.

"How?"

"She..." Rogue paused. "She was looking for… if…" She inhaled. This was really hard to do. "She was looking for… if we had… done somethin'… so she could… Oh gawd Scott, Ah can't…!" And with that she rolled over and buried her face in the pillow.

For a minute all she could hear was his breathing. Then-

"She wants a reason to leave me."

Rogue held her breath.

"For Logan."

Her heart stopped beating.

"And she was searching for something that we had done to use it against me."

She could feel her head growing heavy from lack of oxygen.

"So she could leave me and have a good reason."

She exhaled and nodded. "Yeah."


	3. Snow Fights

Rogue's fingers are covered in cloth. Because they aren't supposed to touch anything. But they want to so bad. They want to be free to run through someone's hair. To have someone show the same treatment to her. She wants to kiss a boy and not send him into a coma.

She wants to at least hold hands with him and not suck him dry of everything he had ever known.

She feels empty inside but not because she is empty but because she feels like that's the only way she get through life so inhuman but not feel pain. But she doesn't like not being able to be touched. She hates it.

Her footsteps were crunches as her boots destroyed all the dead leaves on the ground. Everyone was outside making snowmen and having snowball fights but she didn't like to be in the snow. It reminded her of being cold. She wanted to be warm.

She walked around the small courtyard which was surrounded by trees. Barely any snow fell there, the branches were so close together. Instead all the leaves were layered on the concrete ground. Sometimes she felt like the concrete was warmer than her. She sat down on one of the benches and looked out to her friends.

Kitty was attacking Jubilee from every angle, sinking into the snow and coming out with handfuls of the snow to dump on Jubilee's head who in return tried to melt the snow but wound up only making snowflake fireworks.

Over where the boys were playing all were getting mad because it was unfair that Bobby kept winning in their fight.

It was so strange. They had all graduated, were all at least eighteen but they all still acted as if they were ten. It was refreshing somehow.

She wished she could be a child again. Be able to be unaware of what her body would soon hold. But she was a woman now. Had to be. Had to be aware.

A hard thud hit her back. She turned around, baffled and there was Scott standing with another snowball ready to go.

"Come on Rogue! Let's see if you actually have enough power to beat this snowball king!"

Rogue's jaw dropped in a playful manner. She stood and walked over to the edge of the walk where she could find enough snow to suit her revenge snowball. "Let's get this show on the road Zappy!" She returned and aimed one straight for his chest.

With a smirk and a lift of his glasses the snow melted in midair five feet from him.

"That's not fair!" Rogue placed her hands on her hips as a smirk of her own graced her porcelain face.

"Hey, in this game anything goes."

Rogue raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?" And with that she sprinted for him. This threw him off long enough for her to tackle him to the ground and begin shoving his mouth full of the white flaky substance. "EAT IT ALL BITCH!" She yelled triumphantly as she paused to give him some chance of breathing.

With a cough and a shake of his face Scott admitted his defeat. "That was uncalled for." He coughed, the snow still covering a good portion of his face.

"Hey pal, in this game anythin' goes!" Rogue's hands went to her hips as she gave him a self-satisfied look. "An' Ah just wooped up on ya!"

Scott shivered at the thickness of her Mississippi accent. "Yeah well," And with that he rolled over on top of her and proceeded to shove handfuls of snow down her shirt

Rogue jumped at the icy freeze sliding down between her chest to her stomach and began kicking her legs and flailing about in protest. "Oh my gawd Scott, THAT'S COLD!" And with a final kick she threw him off of her and gave out a childish sniffle as, standing, she shook the snow out from the bottom of her shirt.

"Jerk." She mumbled giving the laughing man's leg a kick. Despite this she was still forcing back a smile.

"Jerk, am I?" He asked and with a maneuver of his legs Rogue was lying down in the snow. Laughing still Scott crawled his way over to his side. Closing his eyes he lifted the bottom of his glasses to wipe a false tear away. "Oh that was funny."

Rogue raised an eyebrow. "Funny huh?" And with that she grabbed his glasses and started off.

Scott, surprised at this bold move, stood up on his knees and turned his head about, eyes clamped tightly. "Roguey, now that's not very nice and I think the ref's would call that cheating."

"What did you just call me?"

"Roguey…" Scott taunted as he followed her voice.

"And Ah don't think that's cheatin' if what you did earlier was within regulation." She added matter-of-factly.

Scott grinned at the extra help of finding her and with ease he toppled her to the ground, he falling on top.

For a second they were lying there, breathing hard from the sudden drop in position until Scott realized how hard his heart was beating inside his chest, so much he could feel it in his feet.

Why was it beating so hard and so fast? He rose one hand up to feel Rogue's face. It was warm around her cheeks even though it was freezing out. He was wearing his woven gloves so he couldn't be affected by her but could still feel the heat from her body.

His breathing calmed as did hers. He dipped his head and could feel her hair brush against his forehead. He turned his head just so he could whisper in her ear. "Rogue, I want to give Jean something to see…"

Rogue's stomach tied itself into knots. She couldn't believe he had just said that. Was he crazy? Did he know who he was talking to? Rogue? Her?

"Rogue," He began again. She almost stopped him but it was a curious feeling to her, for to him speak. To say things like that. And his lips were so close to her ear that she could feel them and his hand was running lines behind her ear and it felt so good even if it was just the cotton of the glove.

"Yes?" She breathed and almost kicked herself. She could feel her body being taken up with him. Was it because he was daring to be this close to her was it because it was Scott?

"I want it to be you she sees."

"Are… are you sure?"

"Yeah." Scott could feel his glasses being gently put back on. He opened his eyes and through the red of his lenses he saw her face. And the stunned look of his touching her. And the scared look of what he said… but he saw something else.

That she wanted to do it to.


	4. SemiNormal Lives

They were lying there in a warm bed. The covers tossed over them like they were meant to be there. Rogue's eyelids fluttered open as the sunlight from outside crept in through the iced over windowpanes. Yawning she felt the weight of an arm tossed over her stomach. She looked down and saw the hand and knew immediately.

Turning over she saw Scott laying there, glasses beside him on the table. Apparently he could now remember not to open his eyes first thing in the morning. Rogue smiled. Last night had been magical to her. But she hated to sound so cheesy.

Rogue felt her lungs burn as she tried to gasp all the oxygen she could. Above her Scott's lips left butterfly kisses down her stomach, each lasting only a second each so he could come to no harm. He ran his fingertips down her arms- his fingertips down her bare skin.

He kissed her lips and moved across her neck.

He was enjoying this as much as she was. He could feel deep inside himself some sort of passion that just wasn't there anymore with Jean. Jean. What a woman to go to for help but she wasn't someone he loved anymore.

Not to say that he loved Rogue but there was some sort of connection between them he couldn't deny. So he kissed her all over with all the passion he could force into two seconds so she could feel everything he knew she deserved.

She ran her gloved hands over his shoulders and down his shoulder blades as he dipped in low to lick her collarbone. He was being so good to her. So gentle and so caressing that she wished she could do something back.

She pushed the thoughts from her mind. She wouldn't go there now. Not when she was beginning to feel whole. The whole night Scott took his time so she could experience lips on her lips. Fingertips on her fingertips. But so he wouldn't be hurt.

Because he couldn't do that to her. Because he knew if he got hurt it would break her.

Scott's mind woke slowly to the sound of running water. Slipping on his glasses he sat up. From his bed he saw the door to his private bathroom was opened but just barely. Bewildered he stood from the warm air underneath the covers and walked to the door.

Opening the door a little more so he could see in he caught himself with what he saw.

A tall figure, long red hair, porcelain skin was rinsing his shampoo from her hair, her hourglass figured body shimmering under the sunlight from the droplets of water making their way hurriedly down her flesh.

He felt the urge to rush to that shower and throw himself onto her almost too much to bear and so turned, walking back to the bed gasping for air. He couldn't believe the reaction his entire body just went through. What with the shivers and the tingling sensation that went from the back of his neck straight to his toes… and, well, the natural male reaction which the absence of that running water signaled he had to get rid of rather quickly.

Shivering he looked around. _Have to think of something… someone… grandmothers! Dead grandmothers… and Rogue's luscious body lying next to me in the bed ready for me to kiss and caress. DAMMIT! DEAD GRANDMOTHERS! BASKETBALL!_

There was a knock at the door and Jean's voice.

All of a sudden… _Now who would've thought that THAT would've worked?_

Marveling at Jean's amazing ability to get him down, he walked over to the door yelling rather loudly as to warn Rogue, "Coming Jean! Let me get into a shirt!" And so he did and opened the door to find Jean standing with a pile of boxes in her hands. He raised an eyebrow.

"Professor just got some new materials in for us to do that research about mutations, remember? We have those contact lenses and that gel-goo- crap for Rogue."

Scott scratched his head for a second and the smacked himself in the face. "Right! THAT stuff! Jeez, I'm sorry I just woke up. Does he want me down there to help right now or do I have enough time to take a shower?"

Jean rolled her eyes and started off for the lab yelling back, "Shower up Summers, I'll just talk to Logan until you get down there."

To her surprise Scott yelled back, "Have fun sweetie! Don't fall into any gel-goo-crap," and proceeded to shut and lock his door.

This was quite a surprise to Jean as usually Scott would skip the shower to glower in a corner somewhere while she and Logan flirted. Then again this just meant that she could sneak in a few little touches to Logan and have a little more fun, but what about that extra inch with Scott? She hadn't found anything in Rogue's mind besides her utter disgust at Kitty's pink closet and peas.

Maybe Jean would just have to leave Scott under the pretenses that he never shows her affection. She scoffed. Yeah, like anyone would believe that. Mr. Obsessive-over-his-fiancée. Well, it could be done. She smirked and continued on down the hallway coming up with little plans here and there.

Meanwhile…

Scott walked (sprinted) to the bathroom door and thrust it open to find Rogue no where to be found. "Um… Roguey?" He asked, looking around.

Scaring the ever-loving-sanity out of him, she dropped from the ceiling where she was balancing herself on the crown molding. "Oh, sorry, did Ah scare you?" She stepped up to him and touched his shirt.

Scott shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair. "Don't worry about it." He leaned in for a kiss but Rogue stepped back. "Am I in trouble?"

Rogue snorted and let out a giggle. "No, but Ah want some answers." She placed her firm hands on her curvaceous hips and Scott found himself go dry in his throat.

He finally realized he was staring at her cleavage and shook himself awake and looked at her face, refreshing his dazed expression. "Yes?"

Rogue raised an unconvinced eyebrow and motioned to the door. "Gel-goo-crap?"

Scott blushed ferociously. He wanted to surprise her. Well, surprise? "Yeah, about that…" He trailed off, massaging the back of his neck. "You see we were all looking for ways for people with socially debilitating mutations… like you and me… to be able to go about a semi-normal life. You know?" He looked up from the floor into her eyes where he saw something.

It was surprise. "Ya'll were… lookin' for somethin' to help me? So I can touch people?" Halfway through Scott's nod Rogue rushed to him and threw her still dripping wet body over him. "Oh Scott, thank you, thank you!" Tears began to stream down her cheeks.

Scott smiled and ran his fingertips over her damp hair. "Hey, I need to get into the shower, I think I smell like girl and you know… koodies." He smirked and felt a slap on his butt as he walked over to the stall. Turning he added. "There is this one place on my back that I can never get… I might need some assistance with the soap and the suds and the wat-"

He smiled as he pulled the wet towel off his face and watched Rogue's bare body saunter back to his bed and begin draping itself with all that horrible, horrible clothing.


	5. Father Daughter Fights

Hank tapped his chin as he read up on the information of the "top-coat" as it was now called as opposed to gel-goo-crap, which for some reason, Rogue was very happy to call it in front of Jean. And for some reason this made Scott blush profusely and Jean glare at the young girl. But ever since her conference with Professor Xavier about her momentary lapse or reasoning (probing other people's minds without permission), she didn't dare do it again. Especially to Rogue. Who for some reason was quickly becoming everyone's favorite.

Scott seemed to spend more time with her now. Which was reasonable as Jean never spent any time with him anymore. And on purpose to. She liked the idea of that "hard to get" exterior. Not that she wanted him in the end anyways but still, the thought was nice. And Logan. Logan was getting antsy because yes, Rogue was like his daughter and his daughter was beginning to be noticed.

By Bobby (who was no longer in love with her but the memory), John (who was still too self-centered and in love with his lighter but Logan did catch the glances at Rogue as she walked by and the occasional lick of his lips in which case Logan would take great pleasure in whacking him upside the head… then again John was beginning to spend his time somewhere else- Xavier knew it was with Erik but oh well), and ever since that slimy fireball started bringing some of his friends over (Logan didn't know why the Professor let them in), Pietro and Peter started to look at her as well.

So why did it seem so strange to him that now she was nineteen she was also receiving some attention from Scott Summers and Warren Worthington? Maybe it was just daunting to the old man that his daughter figure was now the apple of every man's eye and he had no way of protecting her anymore.

Or was it that he was losing the little girl that he had known so long ago. Little lost Marie. The girl heading to Alaska. The girl that fell in love with him. Or was it that she found a father figure? Logan didn't know and it was starting to hurt his head all this thinking in the morning and no alcohol in his system so he stopped for the sake of his growing hangover.

"So what exactly does it do?" Rogue asked, poking at the gel. The jell-o consistency of it made it jiggle as she did so. She grimaced.

"Well…" Hank began, flipping down from his place with his legs wrapped about a pipe to the floor. "We'll build a vile that you can soak in for a couple minutes and this top-coat will fuse itself to your skin building a layer outside of your skin as clothing would, only this layer would be so thin you couldn't tell if it were on or off."

"Aside from people droppin' like flies if Ah touched 'em." Rogue added thoughtfully. The room fell quiet for a moment.

"Well are you sure they'd drop like _flies_, per say? I mean we are people, we'd drop more like _people_, wouldn't we?" Scott began, pulling the same thoughtful expression as she and tapping his chin.

Rogue smirked and with a smack to the stomach she added, "Yeah and you're first to be tested, Zappy."

This startled everyone in the room, how Scott could joke like that and she wouldn't shrink into herself. She had become more open and accepting of the consequences of her powers. At least with Scott anyways.

Professor Xavier chuckled at her comment. "It seems Scott that you will have to watch yourself when this coating begins to wear off. You might want to find yourself away on a mission." And with that he cast a glance over to Rogue whose smile widened from ear to ear.

Hank took her gloved hand and removed the article of clothing and instructed her to let her hand sink into the gel that was currently jiggling inside a pan. Hesitantly she did so and waited.

A few minutes pass and Hank nodded for her to remove her hand. She did so and he tossed her a towel. "Now wipe off the remaining residue and see if you can find a volunteer to touch."

She slowly wiped her hand clean with the towel. She set it down and remained looking at the floor. She didn't want to look up expectantly at anyone. Just as she was beginning to feel a sinking feeling inside her she felt a hand grab hers and hold on. She looked up in surprise to find Logan standing there, looking down at her with a sense of hope in his eyes.

Seconds passed and nothing happened. Her eyes stayed with his, trembling in fear of when this stuff would wear off and she would suck him dry and kill him. But it never happened.

She was flying. Soaring. Finally free. Her arms were out like branches in the breeze as the wind blew through her hair and passed around her body bringing shivers to her spine. Her eyes were closed but she could feel the warmth of the sun on her body even in the dead of winter. She laughed a little and wrapped her arms around the neck in front of her.

Logan.

There was an empty feeling in the pit of her stomach. She wanted it to be Scott but Logan was second best. She laughed to herself. Logan was second best now. She pressed her cheek to his and felt the scruffy feel of his everlasting five o'clock shadow as his hair, the gel being taken out of it by the force of the speed of Scott's bike, blew against her neck.

"Hold on kid!" He shouted over the deafening sound of the passing space and he sped up and all of a sudden Rogue felt like she was melting with the world around her.

She laughed aloud and rested her chin on his shoulder the rest of the way.

As they made their way back to the mansion Logan looked back to her and saw the joy on her face. She was so happy that now she couldn't hurt anyone. But now he had to tell her. Make her understand. She would always be a daughter. He slowed the bike until they were a few yards from the gate and slowed it to a halt, pausing before turning around.

Rogue's face had a look of surprise but it wasn't tainting the look of exhilaration that was once there. "Kid, I need to talk to you about something."

Scott blinked a few times to get used to the feeling of having contacts in. At first he felt a stinging from the blaze being kept so close to his eyes but then it was gone and as the seconds passed the red began to diffuse away from everything and there was color. Not everything was red anymore except for Jean's hair and her skirt. He wished it was Rogue. He wanted to see the tones of her skin and the colors of her eyes.

But she was out riding _his_ bike with Logan. Logan was out riding _his_ bike with _his_ Rogue. Butterflies tossed in his stomach at the thought of being able to call her his. It was exciting and passionate and dizzying all at once.

"All better now, right?" Jean said in her "I'm always right" tone.

"Yeah, I'll give you that." He smirked at her. He had to keep up this charade. He couldn't tell her now with everyone in the room. It had to be private. He sighed and looked at the door in a wishful manner. If only Rogue could walk through and see him.

He squinted. There was something he could hear but it sounded so far away until finally…

"You see, it's not because of you or nothing it's just… damn Rogue, I can't be your boyfriend. I can't. I'm too damn old and rough for you." Logan was finding this so hard to say. He wished he could just skip the next few minutes and go straight to the consoling and the whole him having to apologize. But this whole process was really kicking his butt.

"Oh, Ah know."

His head shot up. "You, you do?"

Rogue giggled and hugged the poor man. "Logan, yeah Ah was 'in love with you' there for a couple months or somethin' but Ah got over it! Ah'm a big girl Logan. Ah can do that. Now you're just like my daddy or somethin'. Ah know that. Besides, how could you expect me to just sit there and watch you and Jean bein' all flirty like and me still have feelin's for you? If Ah didn't get over you cause you were like my daddy Ah got over you for that." She sighed. "Sides, Ah got a new beau Ah'm goin' after now."

Logan's brows dropped down. If he was her daddy he really needed a shotgun right now. "Who?"

Rogue blushed a deep crimson and clamped her hand over her mouth. "Did Ah say that? My gawd Ah'm havin' amnesia… Ah can't remember a thing Ah just said… too damn bad."

"You have some other joe you're going after. Who? Is he respectable? Is he a prick? Do I need to give him some sort of a speech?" At this a claw shot out of his hand which was now tied up into a fist.

Rogue gulped. "Well, you know him. And you two… talk… sometimes… And he's respectable yeah, and he's not a prick… to me… and speech? You don't need to give him no speech cause he's good to me and he's nice to me and treats me like Ah'm a real human bein'."

Logan sniffed.

And his eyes got really big.

Because he wasn't sure before.

He thought it was just because of that stupid bike.

But now he could smell it clear as day out in the winter.

And Rogue could see that.

And one thing came to mind.

Pack bags. Leave quickly. Must find Scott. Must run for life. Now.

And they were running down the hallway. Logan heading for the lab to do who knows what and Rogue following closely behind him trying to stop him, screaming out his name and saying things like "you may be like mah daddy Logan but you can't do this!"

Scott jumped off the bed as Logan rammed through the door and lunged at him, tossing about everything. Jean screamed and attempted to run for cover but got a beaker full of water dumped in her face as Logan tackled Scott to the floor and proceeded to hammer his face in while hollering curses at him.

Rogue, freaking out, was pulling on Logan's shirt and finally picked up a large tin and hit him clear upside the head with it. This of course was not to knock him out but to get his attention.

Which the loud ringing sound of the metal hitting metal inside his head did just the trick as he turned to see her, tears forming in her eyes. "As if it matters, Logan." She scolded and threw the pan down on the floor, leaving promptly and then running to her room where she locked herself in for the remainder of the day with Logan sitting outside the door silently, arms propped upon his knees.


	6. Running Into Trouble

Scott cracked open his eyelids as if he were unearthing some age old tunnel with a brick wall opening. He could feel a giant pressure centered right between his eyes and a little lower… his nose. He gave a pitiful moan and raised his hand up to massage the side of his neck but found himself barely able to do that. Logan must have been pissed off pretty bad about something.

"Well, it seems like the secret is out." A gentle voice floated over to his throbbing ear. He turned his head slowly to find Ororo flipping through a magazine in a chair beside him. "About you and Rogue I mean. Apparently the two went running into the school, Rogue following Logan, both yelling something about fathers and daughters and approval. I think she told him about you two."

Scott groaned. That was really the last thing he needed but if Rogue told him at least that meant that she was making a statement to him that she had moved on. And more importantly, with Scott. "Wha happ'n wi Ogan an Roe?"

Ororo's brows furrowed. "I beg your pardon?"

"Wha happen wiv Logan an Rogue?" He pushed out slowly. Ororo frowned as if she could tell how painful it was for him to pronounce each letter.

"Well, Rogue hit him in the head with a metal pan and locked herself in her room. Logan has been sitting out there for the past few hours now while you've been asleep but not a peep has been heard from that place."

Scott sighed. Logan was sitting outside her room? Was that because he loved her? Was he angry because he still loved Rogue and didn't want to give her up? Scott was so confused and he wished he could moved without feeling sharp pains all over his body. "When will I be better?" He ground out.

Ororo shrugged. "Well we've reset your nose, Logan had broken it," She added in matter-of-factly, "And we stitched up your eyebrow where he kept hitting when he didn't hit your nose. You're still a little swollen but you should be okay to stand in a couple more hours and the swelling should be down in a couple of days."

Scott groaned and shut his eyes. Then he realized something. His glasses were on again. He hadn't even noticed until then when he moved to the point where they shifted on his face. "He pointed to them in curiosity.

Ororo nodded. "We all felt it was to much of a risk to let you keep them in for long periods of time and since we didn't know when you'd wake up to take them out yourself we got Hank to remove them instead."

Scott grimaced at the idea of Hank's huge fingernails digging around his eyeballs.

Logan ran his fingers through his hair for the billionth time. Rogue still wouldn't come out of her room after close to four and a half hours of coaxing. He was beginning to wonder if she was listening to her music and couldn't even hear his pleads.

Muttering about something he stood and dusted himself off. Well, if after that much patience displayed by him she still wouldn't come out, then he'd kick the door in.

Which turning, he did in seconds.

After the splinters of wood from the doorframe settled he walked in and noticed two empty beds. Squinting his eyes in anger he walked over to Rogue's closet (it was obvious which was hers as Kitty's side of the room had pink posters and stuffed animals all over it) and thrust the door open in agitation. No one.

This is when he noticed. No Rogue scent was to be found. In fact, not even a Scott scent was there, even though he wasn't trying to look for it but he needed to if he were to find Rogue (this made him scowl). But she was no where.

He cast a glance to the patio doors and all of a sudden is heart leapt into his throat like a frightened grasshopper in the… well… grass.

He crossed the room in seconds and pulled back the curtains to find the doors open and a tree right outside. A tree that would be easy to climb. He walked to the edge of the patio and looked down. There were footsteps in the snow leading to the side of the building and back from there was something familiar.

Familiar because it was the remains of tire tracks. From Scott's bike.

Rogue walked into the bar with her jacket hood covering her face in shadow and her gloved hands pocketed. Outside the sky was pitch black and the wind blew mercilessly against the walls of the shack like building. Inside men lay face down on the bar, out cold from too much liquor, or the younger ones playing pool in the back or hanging around the juke box.

She stepped up to the empty corner of the bar counter and pushed herself onto a stool. "Water please." Her voice hoarse from the chilly wind blowing in her face, she pulled her hands out of her pockets.

The gentle looking old man nodded and brought her a cracked glass of water. Offering to pay for it, he shook his hands and insisted she take it for free. That she sounded like she needed it. Thanking him she downed half of it in seconds.

There was a clatter as the triangle of balls on the pool table was broken by the tallest one over there. He shook his hair back out of his face and Rogue almost felt like he looked familiar but couldn't be for sure.

She resumed drinking down her water until the glass emptied and she figured she'd make her way to a motel or something. She had a little money on her, enough for someplace cheap. She only needed a shanty anyways. Standing she made her way to the door and pulled her hood closer to her as she stepped out into the freeze of night. At the bike she settled herself on it before pulling the key out from her pocket.

She stared at it. She only hoped that the note she had left in Scott's room would get to him. At least once he got out of the infirmary. Sighing, she turned the key and pulled the stop up.

She looked back and saw figures surrounding her. Gasping she stood from the seat but felt hands forcing her back down. A napkin came to her nose and she flailed about, kicking and attempted to scream but felt something fall against the back of her head and everything went black.

Rogue woke up with the glare of a light above her. She felt her entire back throb as she turned from side to side, begging for her sight to clean up so she cold see things clearly but each turn hurt even more than the last and eventually she had to stop. She pulled her arm in but it wouldn't move.

Looking down she saw a table. _A table? Where the hell am I? What am I doing here? What happened?_ She groaned and saw a dark figure tower over her. Squinted away from it she saw the face of the long haired boy from the bar. "What do you want from me?" She managed through her daze.

"Oh don't worry about it, sugar." As he spoke he turned. His hair blazed bright red but his skin turned dark blue. _Mystique!_ Rogue exclaimed in her mind and pulled at her limbs in hopes to get away. "Now, now, don't strain yourself Rogue, dear."

Rogue grimaced. Why couldn't she get away?

Grunting she sobbed. She was scared now. Where was her Scott? Where was Logan, at least? And the professor? Was he looking for her?

"Now see Rogue, you're going to do a little something for me, you hear?"

((A/N: Ok so I had promised to myself I'd never write one of these again but… This is for all you comic lovers out there!))

Rogue looked up at the woman, her yellow eyes glowing with whatever evil could be imagined.

"You will find one Carol Danvers."

"What do you need me for? Ah don't know who that is!"

"Oh you don't need to. You see dear, this is what you're going to do…"


	7. Back In the Clouds

Logan got out of the jet faster than humanly possible. Then again he was a mutant. Followed by Ororo and Hank, Logan ran to the rusted doors of the warehouse and with assistance, got them open. Outside in the night chill the snow was becoming harder to walk on without slipping and a few times Logan had to grab on to Hank in order to stay standing. Inside the warehouse it was colder and the floor was covered with some sort of crunchy substance that by nose, Logan figured to be leaves. The light shining in from the jet barely illuminated ten feet in before meeting darkness. Despite these conditions Logan could still smell the fearful scent of Rogue somewhere in the room. He let his eyes adjust to the black and saw that the inside of the warehouse had been practically torn apart in some sort of fight but there was no scent of blood or death, this was reassuring-yet confusing.

Walking a few more steps in he caught the acute whiff of Rogue and with barely any more time wasted was at her side. "Rogue…" He whispered as he ran his leather gloved fingers over her pale face. There was something very different about her and he couldn't quite catch on but that didn't matter, as long as they found Rogue, everything could get better from there.

"Logan, let's get her to the jet so that Hank can take a look at her." He heard Ororo's voice from behind him. Lifting Rogue up from the ground, he turned and carried her out of the warehouse and to the jet.

He was followed by Ororo and Hank.

There was one thing they didn't notice the whole time they were in there. The open door in the back which led to outside. Where the body of Caroline Danvers was lying.

Rogue was in the infirmary for days. Scott thought that she would never get out. When Logan had walked in carrying her Scott had been poised sitting on the edge of the bed, chin down against his chest and fingers laced together on his thighs as Jean was muttering on about something that was bound to be stupid and self-directed.

When Logan carried her in… Scott nearly lost his mind. "Logan! What the hell happened? Ororo, is she going to be okay? She's going to be okay right, I mean she's not like dead or anything? Is she breathing? Has anyone checked if she was breath-"

"Shut up and sit down Summers, we'll get to you once we answer our own questions." Logan barked grittily.

Scott, taken aback, found himself sitting on a nearby table looking over Hank's shoulder ever-so-often as they assessed her. In a few hours they could say that she was okay for now. Breathing, blood circulating, warm but unconscious.

Scott never left her side. He spent the time he had with her stroking her arm with a gloved hand and inhaling the scent of his shampoo from her hair. After a while he could see some bruises becoming prominent on her arms and called Hank in to look at them. Hank of course said, in his per usual tone, "Very normal, Scott, very normal. We must remember she had been in a fight."

Scott didn't like the idea of her being bruised. He didn't like the idea of her being in a fight. And most importantly he didn't like the idea of her being unconscious.

And outside the infirmary Logan didn't like the idea that Scott was making such a big deal. Not because Logan found that it was nothing to make a big deal out of, of course, but that Logan felt that he and Bobby and the professor and Marie's close GIRL friend were the only ones allowed to show slight emotion towards the situation. Otherwise, it was uncalled for. That, and Logan didn't like the idea of Scott and Rogue anyway.

Aside from that, he jumped to alertness, he now didn't like the crashing sound coming from the infirmary where the two were.

Running through the doors he found Scott laying out cold on the ground with toppled over bedtables and pans lying around. But that wasn't the most interesting thing. No, the interesting thing was the giant hole in the ceiling leading to the next story where there was a giant hole in that ceiling leading to the outdoors. Grunting, Logan turned and ran down the steps of the school and outside where he found a group of students running inside.

In the middle of the field where he laid his eyes upon, Rogue was clutching her head in desperation, kneeling on the ground and screaming at the top of her lungs, "GET OUT! GET OUT OF MAH HEAD!"

And with that Logan saw something that he thought he never could. Rogue pushed up to her feet and… took flight? Yes. She was. She was flying! Gasping in confusion he looked around. Alright, who hear could fly? Sprinting back into the building he found Ororo attempting to calm down the frightened students. "ORORO! Rogue's FLYING!"

Ororo blanched and left her side as student's mother and ran outside to see for herself, and sure enough Rogue was soaring about in the air spasmodically as if being attacked. Calling upon the winds, Ororo pushed the confused girl down to the ground and Logan ran to her in time to grasp his gruff arms around her. He was not expecting the strength that combated with the flying and with ease Rogue tossed him aside. "GET 'ER OUTTA MAH HEAD!" She yelled and her eyes opened to Ororo who was approaching her.

"Child, calm down. We can't help you if you confuse yourself with all the voices. Sit down and know those memories aren't yours."

Screaming out once more Rogue toppled over in heave of sobs and soon the Professor rolled out to clear her mind.

""Once again in the clouds, the leaf that had fallen far from the tree had flown to high… Tsk." Mystique smirked to herself in the shadows of the hideout of the brotherhood. Mission complete, she thought, as she scanned over the body of Caroline Danvers. The deceased body of Caroline Danvers.

((Alright so that was the hardest chapter I've ever written in my career of writing fanfic. Not only do I not know how to write anything about Caroline Danvers, though I found it necessary to include, I freak myself out when I write for people like Mystique. So for the crappiness of this chapter--- readers, you have my deepest apologies.))


	8. The Buried Reminder

Rogue opened up her eyes. The green in them had faded into a grayish tint of the former vibrancy of the color. Her body was melted against the sheets of the bed she lay upon and she was refusing to acknowledge her being anywhere but a fortress, an escape. She knew she was back at the manor. She knew she was back where she could be probed by Jean. She knew she was back where she would be overly protected by Logan. And what of Scott?

She wanted to see him the least.

She would be able to stand the reprimands of the professor and Logan, the cruel and mocking eyes and snide comments of Jean Grey, but of Scott she could stand nothing of his disappointment or shock of her dastardly actions.

She would only die if she saw the look on his face. The terror and sorrow. He meant too much.

Her mind wracked with the thoughts of her previous expedition.

Rogue walked into the bar with her jacket hood covering her face in shadow and her gloved hands pocketed. Outside the sky was pitch black and the wind blew mercilessly against the walls of the shack like building. Inside it was fairly cleaned out aside from one or two men at the bar and a group of boys at the pool table.

She stepped up to the empty corner of the bar counter and pushed herself onto a stool. "Water please." She called out to the bartend.

Pulling her hands out of her pockets she pushed back the hood from around her face. Looking around the room she felt as if she had been there before. Been sitting in that same stool moments before. She had problems with déjà vu, and familiar with being familiar with unfamiliar things, she brushed it off as such.

Leaning forward she examined the place and came to see no bartend there at the post he was supposed to be at.

There was a clatter as the triangle of balls on the pool table was broken by the tallest one over there. He shook his hair back out of his face and Rogue almost felt like he looked familiar but couldn't be for sure. Her stomach turned and she felt as if she were going to be sick.

Leaving from her place she made her way into the bathroom and locked the door behind her. Turning the light switch up the light flickered above her head, hanging from a single cord.

The sink was black around the drain and memories of the porcelain whiteness beneath shone through in spots and lines of scratches. Her reflection in the mirror was marred by cracks and some sort of mold looking growth. Finding herself more disgusted by the shape of the bathroom than the awkward feeling she was given by the aura of the room outside, she unlocked the door and flicked off the light, walking back to her spot at the bar.

There was now someone else sitting there.

((AN: This is where it gets made up… apologize again I do for any inaccuracies))

Blonde curls lay flat against a black leather jacket as a woman sat beside Rogue at the bar. Drinking down a beer- from where she got this as the bartend was still missing Rogue knew not- and looking quite the part of some sort of biker chick.

Her facial features were hardened by something Rogue could not define in a sentence but they seemed as if they were at one point soft and feminine.

Rogue sat there for a moment, taking in the grand and majestic air of this woman before finding a glance in her direction from that same person a warning to mind her own business. Dropping her gaze to her hands she rubbed her fingertips across the tip of the seam of her jacket.

Moments passed before the woman stood and made her way to the bathroom. Rogue, watching out of the corner of her eye until the door closed was waiting to see how adventurous the woman was if she truly needed to use the bathroom.

Seconds later the door opened- this time not for an exit.

Rogue's eyebrows creased together in confusion, her body lighting up with a nervous sense of foreboding as the tallest boy from the pool game followed the woman into the room. It didn't take long for her suspicious to be confirmed when banging and thudding resonated from the room before the wall blasted into the place where Rogue now sat in.

Dust flew about and clouded what all vision Rogue could find of the scene. All she could decipher were two forms, one seemingly in the air and the other on the ground engaging in some sort of supernatural battle.

A blue hand grasped the same blonde locks of which Rogue had previously shown admiration and threw the woman down and as seconds fleeted by Mystique was now before Rogue.

Gasping, standing from the stool and knocking it over as she did so, she exclaimed the woman's name in surprise and terror. Previous encounters with the woman had been less than cordial or mutual and this was no less.

The woman of the golden hair stood and set her hard eyes on Rogue. "You know her?" She called out, voice rich and strong over the rubble of destruction she had caused in the fight.

Rogue, nodding then shrugging yelled back, "Ah'm not on her side though!"

Before she had any time to react her shirt was grasped and she was lifted off the ground to somewhere strange- the air.

---

Rogue felt a touchdown and soon she was looking into the eyes of the woman who had grabbed her up from her place. "How do you know Mystique?"

Rogue, thrown off and feeling quite belittled in front of this great force, shivered slightly before stuttering out her answer. "Ah-Ah'm with… with Professor X. A-An' she an' Magneto… they…" She didn't feel the need to continue, nor did she have the courage to do so-voice stolen from her.

The woman nodded. Her eyes widened and Rogue turned around to see what it was she was looking up at but everything went dark once more.

---

Rogue was shaken from whatever it was had put her out of her consciousness to find herself watching the woman in front of her take her last breath, eyes bloodshot and skin pale. Rogue, screaming but somewhere hidden deep within her body, could not stop what she was doing.

Her slender pale fingers, free from the restraints of her gloves were wrapped around this woman's neck and before Rogue could even think to pull back the woman's life glittered in her eyes for a split second before fading and extinguishing completely like the last burning ember from a fire.

Rogue stayed there, hands grasped around the woman's neck until she felt a tug on her neck and her hands released, the woman falling to the white flakes of snow blanketing the ground.

Rogue's chest rose and fell violently as she looked on. She couldn't remember why she had started doing that, or why she had no recollection of moments past, but she had just murdered somebody.

"Well done. Your mission is complete, then." And with that Mystique's voice disappeared into the wind behind the confused girl.

Running into the warehouse, lost and brain throbbing with a new sort of pain she blacked out.

Rogue shook in fear of herself. How could she have done something like that? Rolling over in the bed so she could not see if someone walked into the room she pulled the blanket up over her head. She couldn't let anyone touch her. She would hurt them so much.

She felt so terrible.

_Well you should feel terrible you bitch._

The voice that spoke made Rogue sit straight up throwing the covers from her face. That voice was not her own.

_It's me, 'the woman'. You murdered me._

Rogue's eyes opened wide and she clutched at her temples, clawing away with her dull fingernails. "Stop… Ah… Stop it… Ah didn't mean it… Ah…"

_Shut up, you saw everything that happened. You stole my life! YOU STOLE MY LIFE YOU BITCH!_

Rogue flew from the bed to the floor, tears streaming down her cheeks in rivers. Knees pressed down on the hard floor, her eyes closed tight, she grasped her head with her hands. "GET OUT OF MAH HEAD!"

_YOU KILLED ME! I'LL NEVER LET YOU FORGET!_

"No… Ah…" Between sobs Rogue attempted to make some sense of what she had done but there couldn't be a cure for this.

She knew now what had happened.

She had not only absorbed this woman's powers. She had absorbed her.

_Stop calling me 'woman' , my name is Carol Danvers, bitch._

((Alright so how's that one eh?)


	9. Submission

Her auburn hair was tangled and matted around her pale face. Her green eyes held the memory of tears in their blood shot and puffy appearance. Her lips were parted slightly. The pathway of the salty drops which fled from her eyes still glistened beneath the light of the infirmary.

Her shoulders were slumped forward in a weakness that was new to the residents of the manor. Her knees were pulled up to her chest and her arms rested down at her sides.

Her sight drifted off into the distance, reaching for something that wasn't there.

"_Rogue_"

The name. Rogue. Was that who she was? Was that her identity? Were there actually people in there talking to her? Or was it more voices from her mind? Was it Eric taunting her again?

Was it Logan trying to dig deep into her like he had so many times before? Was he trying to save her now?

"_Rogue_"

Who was calling to her? Was it the professor? Was it Hank? Was it Scott?

_Rogue, someone's hailing you._ The now familiar voice of Carol Danvers shot a snide remark into the depth of Rogue's thoughts. She had no barriers to break through. If she so desired she could push past them and cut right into Rogue's heart.

_Come on Rogue-y, you can't ignore me forever. Or at all really, come on Rogue-y. Say hello to your friends._

Rogue's eyes drifted out of their sleep and into the eyes of Hank McCoy in his blue fur form leaning over her with a stern look of caring on his face.

"Beast..." She muttered out before sliding onto her side on the floor, more tears falling from her stinging orbs.

_Oh for my sake please don't start crying again. You always try to have some sort of deep revelation when you cry. It'll never happen Rogue. You'll never get rid of me and I'll never be rid of your weakness so just suck it up and stop crying!_

Carol had already developed a deep hatred for Rogue's softer emotions.

_Come you big baby. Sit up, go to your room, put on some clothes and let's get drunk._

Heeding her orders, Rogue-oblivious to the others in the room including her dear Scott Summers- stood from her spot and walked out of the room as if possessed.

_Good girl, now let's see what you've got…_

They reached Rogue's room and walked to her closet. Looking in, Rogue could feel Carol smirk beneath her own skin.

_That one._

Grabbing up a pair of tight jeans and a black tube top, Rogue slipped them on over her form and donned herself with a pair of black gloves. Brushing through her hair she grabbed up a dark green trench coat and made her way to the door.

Scott was there.

_Ignore him, we don't need him._

"Rogue, are you alright?"

Rogue looked up to him, but he couldn't see her in her eyes. It was so different. Frowning, he placed his hands on her shoulders.

Tilting her head she looked at his hands. They seemed so far away, she could not grasp them. "Rogue, you shouldn't be going out right now. Stay with me and we'll try to figure something out."

_Tell him you don't need him Rogue, you have me, you have good ol' Carol._

"Carol says no…" Rogue whispered, voice cracking under strain. Turning away from him she pushed past him into the hallway and was not followed out of the door, out of the gate, or down the road.

She wasn't followed at all. By anyone.

_I told you, you have good ol' Carol. You don't need any of them. They don't know what we've been through. And you and me? We're one person now. So you've got all my bad times and I've got all yours. Isn't that great? I hate you for it though. Don't ever forget that Rogue, I hate you._

"I know."


End file.
